Tip calculator
Enter the bill and tip, get the total and each share instantly.
How do I calculate a tip?
Multiply the bill by the tip percent. A 20% tip on $84.50 is 84.50 × 0.20 = $16.90, for a total of $101.40. A quick way to 20%: move the decimal one place left (10% = $8.45) and double it.
How do I split the bill?
Add the tip and divide the total by the number of people. $101.40 split three ways is $33.80 each. Turn on rounding and everyone pays a whole $34, which makes the tip $17.50.
Should I tip on the total before or after tax?
Many people tip on the amount before tax, since the tax is not part of the service; tipping on the total with tax is simpler and a little more generous. Enter whichever amount you prefer.
What is a 15%, 18% or 20% tip on $50?
$7.50, $9.00 and $10.00. The table under the result lists the tip and total at several percents for your bill.
How do I tip for takeout or delivery?
Customs vary by service and place; the calculator does the math for whatever percent you choose. For a flat tip instead, enter the tip as a percent of the bill it works out to.
How much is the tip if I tip on the pre-tax amount?
Take an $84.50 food bill with an 8% sales tax, so the receipt total is $91.26. A 20% tip on the pre-tax $84.50 is $16.90; on the taxed total it is $18.25, which is $1.35 more. The difference grows with the tax rate and the size of the bill.
Should I tip on the price before a coupon or discount?
Many people tip on the amount before the discount, since the server did the same work. If a $62.40 meal is discounted, a 15% tip on the full price is $9.36. Enter whichever amount you want the percent applied to.
How the numbers are worked out
The tip is the amount you enter times the percent. The total is the amount plus the tip. For a group, the total is divided by the number of people; if rounding is on, each person's share is rounded up to the next whole dollar, so the tip grows slightly and the amounts are easy to pay in cash. The table under the result shows the tip and total for 15%, 18%, 20%, 22% and 25% of the same amount, so you can compare options without changing the form.
Worked example: four people and rounding
Four friends have a $126.80 check and agree on 18%. The tip is $22.82, the total is $149.62, and each pays $37.41. With rounding turned on, each pays $38.00, the table total is $152.00, and the tip becomes $25.20 (19.9% of the check, a bit more than 18%). The quick mental way to 20% is to move the decimal one place to get 10% and double it; for 15%, add half of the 10% figure to itself.
When the bill is not shared equally
The calculator splits the total evenly. If people ordered different amounts, work out each person's own food and drink first, apply the same percent to each amount, and add their share of any shared items. This keeps a person who ordered a salad from paying for someone else's steak and wine. For a group of this kind, divide the shared appetizers evenly and enter each person's own subtotal separately.
Common mistakes
Tipping twice is common when a restaurant adds a service charge or automatic gratuity, which is often done for large parties; check the receipt before adding more. Entering the percent as a decimal (0.2 instead of 20) gives a tip of a fraction of a cent. Mixing up whether the amount already includes tax changes the tip by the tax percentage. And the percent is not a rule of law: it is a custom that differs by country, kind of service and place, so use it as a starting point for your own judgment.
Sources: percentage arithmetic only (a tip of p percent on an amount A is A × p ÷ 100); tipping in the US is a custom, and the percent is the diner's choice. Related: percentage calculator, sales tax calculator and discount calculator.